An online study found avid technology consumers tended to score highly in personality traits such as leadership, dynamism and assertiveness, but low in modesty.

NEW YORK (Reuters
) - Know someone who loves gadgets and can't wait to buy the newest
model? Chances are you would describe them as assertive and a strong
leader -- and possibly arrogant, according a U.S. research.

An online study evaluating the characteristics of 25,000 American
adults found avid technology consumers tended to score highly in
personality traits such as leadership, dynamism and assertiveness --
but low in modesty.

"A lot of previous research points to wealthy young males as early
adopters of technology," said Sarah Welch, lead researcher at Internet
ad network firm Mindset Media that conducted the study in partnership
with Nielsen Online.

"But this study tells us that there are characteristics beyond age
and gender and income that are also extremely highly correlated with
tech consumption," she added.

The study looked at 20 personality traits or "mindsets" including openness, creativity, self esteem and spontaneity.

Respondents were rated on a scale of 1 through 5, with 1
representing those who demonstrated the least amount of a given mindset
and 5 representing those who demonstrated the highest intensity of a
mindset.

Those who scored a 5 in leadership were 68 percent more likely to
have purchased three or more computers in the past two years, the study
found.

Likewise, respondents who rated highly in assertiveness were 62
percent more likely to purchase a new cell phone when the newest model
arrived on the market.